Burnt Toast
by Xmarksthespot
Summary: Live life without regrets. If you know they're leaving you, hold onto them, and you must not let them go - that is what she believed. "Sakura-chan...you can hold onto him, but this time, you have to let him go." SakuSasu
1. Chapter 1

**Burnt Toast**

**By: Xmarksthespot**

**Disclaimer: Don't own.**

**A/N: **This is a SakuSasu fic, not Sasori...I may've clicked the wrong button when I started this..so yeah.. :)

**-**

**Chapter 1. Five Days**

_Without toast, peanut butter and jelly just isn't the same._

_-_

Sakura had passed the same tower at least three times that hour, but couldn't bring herself to enter it. She knew that place was dark and cold, filled with the most vile creatures who ever walked on soil. Nevertheless, she was drawn to it and she knew why.

At the tender age of twenty two, Sakura Haruno had already received the honour of being the Leaf Village's finest medic. She had worked along side former Godaime, Tsunade, for several years and proved herself to be a worthy ANBU through many risky missions.

She was also the best friend of Rokudaime, Naruto Uzumaki. The two, despite their busy schedules, had remained close like peanut butter was to jelly (with the exception of the Hokage's girlfriend).

There were times when Sakura was asked to do all sorts of jobs other than her usual hospital shifts or random missions; sometimes she substituted for Iruka at the academy or was asked to walk a few of Kiba's family's dogs, but they were all enjoying.

Sakura had everything she could possibly want – love, friends, family, a good job, a good life. However, there was something missing. But then again, there always is.

-

_Traitor and murderer, Sasuke Uchiha has been_

_sentenced to death on February 16__th__ of this year._

-

Sakura forced her lips to curve upwards when she finally got her tired legs to take a step inside. She held onto a basket and her knuckles were clearly white from the tight grasp she had on it. Instead of properly greeting the guards by voice, the kunoichi merely nodded and remained silent.

Their faces were neutral, but she could easily read them; the guards knew why she was there. They studied her as if they had been expecting her company for a while. Among them was Shikamaru and he said 'hello' in response to her small movements. Getting up, he kept his lips tightly closed, suppressing a yawn.

His bored eyes didn't blink and were staring straight across to meet the intense greens. Suddenly, Shikamaru's hands reached towards the strap beside his pants pocket. He grabbed onto the large hoop of dangling keys, pulled it out from the strap, and started flipping through.

Realizing Shikamaru was already second guessing her moves, Sakura opened her mouth to speak. She located her voice after the first several stutters. She politely said, "I-I'm just here. Here, in this building, but not in the rooms. I'm not visiting." Her eyelids didn't flutter and she wanted Shikamaru to know she was serious.

Her grip on the basket tightened when she notice him glancing at it. Slipping a sigh between her lips, Sakura made sure she smiled. "This is actually for you," she said, handing the basket to the man across from her. "I know you guys work really hard, so I decided to prepare some lunch."

The Nara hesitantly took the basket, opening it to see multiple bentos. He confirmed that she had made the food for them and not whom he thought. With a curt nod, he replied, "Thank you. I'm sure the others will be happy to hear they won't have to eat rice balls today."

Sakura had begun to turn around and leave when Shikamaru pointed something out.

"You don't have to go in. There's a small window on the door."

Sakura turned back, studying Shikamaru's face and somewhat hoping he was lying. Whether he was telling a fib or not, she knew the man was smart and there was probably some meaning behind his words – she didn't have the time to figure them out.

She wasn't sure what to do exactly. Her jade eyes wandered the room, hoping to find an answer on one of the dull coloured bricks. Her bright bangs darkened her face, especially when she lowered her head and agreed, turning towards the long and narrow staircase.

Although, it was one of the earlier rooms, so there was no need for the staircase. He led her just a few doors down, not too far from the main lobby. The man pointed to a steel door and quickly made his way back to where he came from, leaving the woman standing there mutely.

Her head never stayed quiet. There were too many thoughts and some of them were wrong. Sakura had wondered about the consequences of breaking the door open and freeing him, but she knew it was against her morals.

Instead, she leaned towards the door. She was careful and made sure there was enough space between her and the door as if the door itself could sense her breathing. Tippy toeing, Sakura looked into the small room, seeing the same smokey bricks covered in cobwebs.

Silently sighing, Sakura's toes went back down. She had given up, telling herself that it would be improper if she were to see him – the memories, the heartbreak, everything would come rushing back. Her body had begun to pivot back towards the main doors, when she heard a noise coming from inside. She immediately leaned into the door again, this time not dwelling on the closeness or the heaviness of her breathing.

Sakura heard the sounds again and was sure they were the sounds of shackles. It was difficult to comprehend her feelings at the time considering her view; she couldn't see anybody. Sakura tilted her head to the side, wondering if she could spot him from a different angle.

She found him and lost the rhythmic beating of her heart.

She noticed he wore ragged clothes – a dark shirt, which contrasted his pale skin even more. Sakura was sure that if he went outside in the bright snow, his face could've easily blended in (excluding his shaggy hair). His eyes, despite what Sakura thought they'd be, weren't red. The rims of his eyes, though, were a little pink though as if he had very little sleep. His lips were parted and Sakura was unsure if he was breathing through his nose or mouth, especially because he remained still.

For the next several minutes, the kunoichi noticed his body didn't move. Even most experienced ninjas couldn't stay frozen like a statue. But he did; he never blinked or showed signs of life.

It wasn't until Sakura noticed her feet were aching that she repositioned herself to peak through the glass window. When she adjusted herself, she heard a loud squeaking noise coming from the other side. Sakura turned her head, watching the man enter the building and stare straight back at her with his chocolate brown eyes.

Her breathing quickened as he took a few steps inside, still staring back at her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her.

Sakura didn't reply. She watched him approach her and Shikamaru getting up from his seat to stop him. The breeze coming into the building blew the cobwebs in the corners and...there was movement inside the cell; she wasn't sure if the man in the prison saw her or not.

The young adult was stuck between two different worlds. Usually, in situations like this, everything would move slowly, as if time stood still for her to think it through. Unfortunately, time remained the same, there was one man on her left and another on her right.

And no matter how much she wanted things to be perfect, Sakura couldn't pick between the two worlds, for on one side, there was Sasuke Uchiha and on the other side, there was her fiancé.

_Date: February 11_

_Days until the execution of Sasuke Uchiha: 5_

-

-

TBC

* * *

**Yeah, I should really stop posting new stories..but I've had this written sometime last year, so technically, its not really new.**

**But please review :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Burnt Toast**

**By: Xmarksthespot**

**Disclaimer: Don't own**

**-**

**Chapter 2. Four Days**

_He was just a slice of bread when he left. He came back burnt._

_No one wants burnt toast._

-

"She had to give us a few documents from the Hokage and," Shikamaru explained and held up a bento, "gave us some lunch too." He sat up from his chair, just inches away from the rosette's fiancé.

"Oh," the man replied, holding out his hand. He gave a large grin. "That's so sweet of you," he said, pulling Sakura in for a peck on the cheek. He noted her slight hesitation, but didn't speak of it. He wrapped his arms around her neck, pulling her closer to him. The brunet's head tilted so his chin was resting on her head. "Are you busy now or do you want to get some lunch with me?"

Pulling the sides of her lips upwards, Sakura looked back up at him, beaming with false excitement. "Of course."

The two started walking in unison, leaving the joyless building behind. They pushed through the snow easily with their winter boots, kicking the pile to the side and playfully at each other until they reached a heated restaurant with dimmed lights. It was their favourite restaurant – it was where he proposed.

Kyo Hagarashi. His name was Kyo Hagarashi. His as in Sakura's fiancé, the man whom she had decided to marry and spend the rest of her life with. She had decided the moment the two were together that she would become a devoted and loving wife and mother. Of course, she would never quit her dreams or her job as a ninja – Kyo would never allow her to do so. He was caring that way – respectful and optimistic just like she was.

The two had met like it was a typical cheesy movie. Injured man on battlefield and female medic, forming small sparks that would soon to increase in fireworks. Of course, Sakura hadn't looked at him the way he noticed her at first, at least, not until her repetitive run-ins with him.

He was different, especially from Sasuke. Many were confused by the two, flustered at how easily Sakura could be around her new beau, especially when her friends spent many years setting her up with other guys. But maybe it was because they had been setting her up with guys that reminded her of her past – after Ino's setup with Sai, Sakura was sure she didn't need to be reminded of Sasuke.

"Sakura?" He said, interrupting her moments of reminiscence.

Sakura's head leapt from the palm of her hand. "Huh? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about some things." She smiled and her voice trailed off as a part of her mind starting to recall back memories again.

Her fiancé chuckled, finishing the rest of his food. "Actually, I wanted to tell you something." He picked up a napkin, cleaning the food from his mouth before he looked back up at the rosette. "A lot of things are going on lately, as you've probably heard, so I'm going to be home pretty late nowadays. Just for this week though, okay?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, winters mean more hectic patients in the hospitals anyway." She studied his apologetic face that was mixed with amusement. "I mean it," she assured.

His sunburned colored eyes sparkled, even with the low lighting. "And that's why you're running around, doing errands for the Hokage instead of working in the _busy_ hospital?" He mused, pointing out her lie.

Sakura gave a little grin.

Getting up, he grabbed his coat hanging from the elegant chair with Sakura mirroring his moves as well.

Despite having a joyous conversation with Kyo on the way back home and all night, there was only one other man that was persistent to stay inside Sakura's mind: Sasuke. It left her with a sleepless night, as she consistently tossed and turned until her fiancé decided to spend the night on the couch.

"Sorry," she whispered late at night.

He shrugged it off. "Like I said, a lot of things are going on. Do you want to talk about it or anything?" When he received her head shake, he gave a reassuring smile. "Okay. Now I have an early morning, so I'm just going to the living room."

This caused the rosette to feel a little guilty, yet satisfaction at the same time. The moment Kyo left the room, she leapt off the bed and pulled a picture frame from her bottom drawer. Gazing the ten year old photo, her teeth nibbled onto the dry skin of her lips as she felt agony.

She knew it was wrong, but the young woman went to sleep, planning the next day's journey back into the prison.

Her fiancé was already gone by the time she had woken up. Her clothes were picked randomly from the closet as she marched outside her room. Despite what everybody believed, Sakura had requested a week's worth of vacation time from the hospital; she needed time to adjust to what was happening.

Her unemotional mouth pulled into a deep frown every time she walked passed the poster, stating the date and time of _his_ death. But rather than stopping to analyze it's detail like she normally did (she needed to let it sink in), the kunoichi headed straight to the prison cell.

It took her exactly eight minutes before her hand decided to push the door open. The air in the building was also palpable, causing her breathing to quicken. Her body felt faint as she watched Shikamaru point to the same door he had the day before.

"Just tell me if you want to go in," he reminded her, jingling the keys in front of her face. When she nodded, he turned around to head back to his desk. The Nara clansman never questioned Sakura.

Like the day before, she tiptoed in order for her eyes to peak through the window. Despite him being in view yesterday, the apple-green eyes had to search for him, only to see his legs; he was resting against the door. Her inner voice kept repeating the same phrase over and over again, _go inside_, but she didn't listen to her conscious.

She just stared at his feet that seemed to wiggle every once in a while. His ankles were cuffed and chained, preventing him from doing anything drastic and only allowed him to walk within his cell.

Again, her heart's pace quickened every time her mind told her to call for Shikamaru. Finally, she turned her face. "Um, Shikamaru?" She called out. The corner of her eyes were still glued to the window, watching for movement – she wondered if Sasuke could hear her.

On cue, the man approached Sakura. He dangled the keys in one hand, but in the other, he held out a bracelet. "Sorry, I was notified that if you were to go in, you had to wear this." He placed the metallic object around her small wrist, which suppressed her chakra levels.

"I understand... " Her voice faltered, realizing that she was just moments away from entering the cell. Suddenly, her hand raised. "One second," she murmured, keeping the guard from unlocking the door.

She gave herself several deep breaths. Her brows were furrowed from her frustration. Sakura wanted to make sure she was both mentally and physically prepared; she didn't want to have an emotional breakdown at the sight of him.

After several minutes of waving her hands in the air, as if they were going to help relax her, her eyes darkened. They stared straight at the door in front of her. "I'm sorry. I can't."

Shikamaru blankly stared at her, before putting his keys back and taking off the wristband. "Alright, then," he muttered.

The moment he turned the corner and was away from her view, Sakura peaked into the window again. Startlingly, she gasped for air, stepping back from her location. Her back leaned against the wall as her fingers clutched onto the engravings of the old bricks.

Sasuke's face was up against he window and his intense eyes stared straight back at her's, as if he could see through her soul. He watched her – studied her – and refused to move from his position. The long strands of ebony hairs were long, covering most of his face from her view.

Because of this, Sakura never saw the questioning look that he had plastered on the porcelain skin of his. Instead, she glanced back at him with intense fear, but whether he knew what she was afraid of, it was hard to depict. Truthfully, she just didn't know what to do.

His mouth partly opened and he began to breathe in from it. His facial features seemed to soften after the intense moment, but Sakura never saw any of it.

She ran out the door as quickly as she could, tracing over her snow-covered trail that she had left behind just an hour ago; she needed to go back home.

_Date: February 12_

_Days until the execution of Sasuke Uchiha: 4_

-

-

TBC

* * *

**A/N:** Yeah, I know. I make the chapters pretty short. It might get longer as we go, though. :)

Ohh, one more thing. There's a reason I made her fiance an OC: I wanted someone who wasn't aware of Sakura's and Sasuke's past, despite that just being friendship (sorta) and a confession by a bench. And with his description and all, I don't want to go too far into it. He won't show a lot of flaws mainly because this is, in a way, Sakura's point of view, so to her, being in love with him and all, she won't see a lot of those.

Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Burnt Toast**

**By: Xmarksthespot**

**Disclaimer: Don't own**

**-**

**Chapter 3. Three Days**

_I like having my breakfast straight out of the toaster. It's just nice and warm._

_-_

Sakura's routine that day was basically a carbon copy of her previous. She peaked inside the building, catching the attention of the guards on duty. Her attentive eyes tried to look pass them, but their bulky, muscular figure kept her from doing so. Deciding on what to do, the small girl's body shifted inside to reunite with the warm air.

"Can we help you?" The stranger asked.

The thoughts in her head squirmed around at the possibilities of excuses she could use. When an appropriate one came to mind, the rosette said, "I'm looking for Shikamaru – mission details and stuff. Is he working today?" She tried to avoid further questions by stepping back a few steps, hinting to the guards that she was in a rush.

"Yes, later tonight he is."

Sakura responded, "Could you check his schedule, please?" She lowered her chin, scanning the pages that the man was flipping through and deciding that she would come back then. However, as the pages turned, she could hear another man creaking the door up ahead.

One of the other guards with a tray of food in one hand opened the door, causing the imprisoned man to fall back. He sternly stared at the Uchiha who was slowly getting back up onto his feet. "Hey, you. Why are you leaning against the door?" He questioned rudely. "Trying to escape, are you?" He kicked Sasuke's lower back, pushing him inside the cell.

Sakura wanted to speak up, but she didn't want any of the guards to be suspicious of her. No one really knew how long it took her to convince Naruto that she wouldn't try to let Sasuke escape. Instead, she pretended to wander as she waited. Her steps approached the man who gave Sasuke his food, but turned around before she let herself get too far. As for her eyes, they randomly looked around, studying dust mites and the intricate work of the spider's web.

"It feels warmer there," someone said.

Quickly, her head jerked to the side when the back of her mind assumed she heard Sasuke's voice. But when the guard up ahead slammed the door closed, her body slowly shifted back towards the main desk again. Whether it had been a hallucination or not, the girl tried to shake the voice out of her head.

"Nara will be here by 8:00PM. You can stop by then."

With an affirmative nod, Sakura left the building. Her eyes looked both ways, despite the empty street. Turning to the left, the girl took heavy steps through the snow, making her way towards the academy.

"Oh, thank you so much for supervising for me," Iruka pleasantly said as he rushed his moves. "I'm sorry, but there's just this meeting I have to rush to. It'll only be a few minutes, or so," the man explained.

Sakura returned with a bright grin. "Don't worry about it," she said before entering the classroom. The moment she entered, the students' voices died down as they stared at her like a stranger. But to her, the classroom hadn't been any stranger than her own home. It was the same location she had spent most of her childhood, learning basic techniques and laughing at Naruto's pranks.

She introduced herself as 'Ms. Haruno' to the students, sitting down on the teacher's chair. She made sure they had enough work to distract them while she pretended to be working hard, herself. However, the two boys sitting in the back corner were giving her a hard time, considering they wouldn't keep their mouths shut.

"My dad said that I can go see Sasuke Uchiha's execution. It'll be awesome!"

"No fair!" The other whined. "My mom refuses to let me go and it's a once in a lifetime experience. I wonder if they're using a guillotine or – "

Sakura's flat palms slammed onto the desk, alarming the students. "Enough!" She marched from behind the desk, making her way up the few steps that it took to get to the two boys' desk. "Do you think it's funny – death?"

The kids in front of her were wide-eyed, unsure of what to say. They just watched as their substitute teacher yelled at them even more.

"Do you think that just because he's a traitor to the village, he doesn't have people who love him?" Her voice was raised and stern. She used all the self-control she had within her to keep herself from raising her sound any further. Turning around, she made her way to the front of the class, so that she could face everyone.

"Let me tell you something, kids. When Sasuke Uchiha left, he was a genin." Sakura had a steady pace around the room. "That being said, who do you think he left behind?"

There was a brief silence that flowed through the room. Nobody felt like they had the guts to raise their hand. However, one of the two boys that Sakura had just yelled at hesitantly raised his arm into the air.

"Yes?" Sakura called out.

"My dad said that his family was killed – that's why he left. So he left noone behind...r-right?"

Sakura's dry lips parted, releasing a heavy sigh. Shaking her head disappointedly, she said, "No, you're wrong. You're not looking at the specifics – I said he was a _genin_. That means he had a team." Her voice had softened the moment her deep consciousness had entered a realm of memories.

She slowly made her way back to the desk, leaning on it with one arm. "You see, after you guys graduate, you will have a team – people who you will bond with and create many memories with." Her eyes gradually fell. "Sasuke Uchiha didn't have nobody. He had a team, and that team is still existent even to this day. Despite what he's done and what people believe, that team still loves him as much as they loved him before he left.

"So don't talk about death so casually. Even if you think that the person you're talking about is a villain, because everyone in this world has had someone who loves them at one point or another... and it just hurts them deeply knowing that, that person is going to die."

The academy students didn't speak up. Some were in awe about what had just been said, others went back to their work. Nevertheless, none of them dared to mention the Uchiha's execution.

For the rest of the afternoon, Sakura's mind felt void. She wasn't sure as to what to think anymore. There weren't many people left in the village who remember Sasuke as a genin – none of them were aware of his, the Hokage's, and her connection. As for Kakashi, all they ever talked about now was his new team, troubling the village as always. Team Seven was almost never mentioned; as long as Naruto was alive, he made sure no other team would receive that team number.

Her head restlessly turned to the side, viewing the scenery outside the window. She could see a genin team walking dogs across the courtyard with their teacher following behind them. Her face saddened, turning away to look at the clock; it was just half past three.

When Iruka had finally come back, Sakura quickly said her goodbyes before leaving, though she wasn't sure how responsive the students were. The girl had thought about paying the hospital a visit to see how things were going while she was away, but she never turned towards the building's direction.

Rather, she went back home, seeing her fiancé work busily through his paperwork.

"Hey," Sakura sang, walking towards Kyo to give him a kiss. She quickly took off her winter jacket and sat down on the seat next to him.

"How has your day been? I heard you sat in for Iruka with the academy kids – they weren't too rough on you, were they?" He didn't look up from his sheets, but felt Sakura's unresponsive shrug.

Sakura's chin rested on the palm of her hand, watching as Kyo quickly scribbled various notes. "What are you working on? You seem stressed."

The mahogany haired man gave a sigh, leaning back on his chair. "Well, it's just all these missions and the whole execution thing going on. You know, that Uchiha guy?" He watched as Sakura gave a quick nod. "I see," she managed to utter.

The man rubbed way the stress from his eyes, reaching out one hand to grab the plastic cup of water just ahead of him. "I heard he was pretty popular back then – when I was traveling with my dad, so I wouldn't know. Have you met him before?"

Sakura thought for many seconds, and then said with the most uncertainty, "H-He was a classmate. I went to school with him back at the academy," she gave a pause, wondering how much she should really say. "He was really cute, I was a big fan, like the other girls. And then we graduated and... that was it." It was a half lie, but luckily, Kyo didn't see any of it.

The corol spikes flipped to the side as she turned around. "I'll make you some food," she offered, heading to the kitchen. The adult pretended to be selecting food from the fridge the moment she stuck her head in and hummed a peaceful song. In reality, she was hiding herself from him behind the fridge door the moment she sensed a tear in the corner of her tired eyes.

As her hands reached, grabbing random bowls and such, her state of reality froze. Everything around her seemed to slow down until the moment her heart took over. "Actually," she said, standing erect. "Do you think you could wait a few, um, hours? It's only four and we don't usually have dinner at, uh, six, anyway," her speech was quick and the palms grasping onto the material of her shirt grew sweaty.

Kyo turned around, suspicious of the girl. "Are you okay, Sakura?" He pursed his thin lips, seeming to hold back other words.

Stutteringly, Sakura nodded with haste words that no one could really hear. "I just have to do an errand!" She breathed out, jumping towards the rack that held her jacket. Bolting out the door. she had traveled to her original destination even though the wind was blowing the heavy snow back at her.

Once she entered the building, the guards looked up at her. "May we help you?"

Her cheeks felt numb, but the forest green orbs only paid attention to the heavy metal door just up ahead. She knew she couldn't wait for Shikamaru to arrive.

"The Hokage has requested for me... to see the prisoner. H-He's busy today and wants me to talk to the prisoner – the Uchiha," Sakura lied. "I want to see him." She breathed heavily while giving the man across from her a confident smile. "I want to see Sasuke Uchiha. Please, open the door."

The taller man studied her before turning around and reaching into his desk. "Alright, then." His words suggested for her to reach out her hand, which was what she had done. He secured her wrist with the metallic band before leading her towards the jail cell.

-

__

Date: February 13

Days until the execution of Sasuke Uchiha: 3

-

-

TBC

* * *

**Thanks guys for reviewing the previous chapter! I'm really excited about this story - it's probably my favourite to write. **

**Please review and have a good day. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Burnt Toast**

**By: Xmarksthespot**

**Disclaimer: Nope.**

**Chapter 4. Two Days**

_I used to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every morning when I was a kid._

_Now, I'm just too busy for breakfast._

_.._

As she wandered around her kitchen, scanning her cabinetry for ingredients, the woman could only ponder of the previous night. If she had known yesterday that she was going to spend two hours in the jail cell only to avoid his eyes, she probably would've stayed home. The fact that he didn't do anything responsive didn't help either.

However, Sakura was determined that early noon. The medic quickly left her house with one thing on her mind: she needed to see the Hokage. The quest for a reason to keep her from feeling too disappointed in her friend was set out as she hurriedly made her way to the tower. Ever since the announcement of the execution had been made, the young woman somewhat held herself back from seeing the blond, and she was sure he was also reluctant to see her as well.

"I'm here to see Uzumaki, Naruto," she told the receptionist.

"Do you have an appointment?"

Sakura shook her head. "No...My name is Haruno Sakura. Could you page him? He'll let me in." Only minutes past before the woman commanded Sakura to follow her. During this time, Sakura stared at the secretary's back heel as she was led to the office; she studied them. They were clean. Clearly, not the shoes of a ninja. Her eyes wandered upwards to the secretary's brown hair; it was neat and she could tell that said woman didn't stress much.

"Naruto is a good Hokage," she said out loud.

"Yes, he is," the secretary agreed. She stopped at the door and turned to face Sakura. "Just knock before you go in." With that, she went back to the office.

A smile was forced the moment the small hand tapped against the door, but when she heard Naruto's voice for the first time in a while, it faltered into a mere line. She slowly turned the knob and a penetrating light from the large window blinded her momentarily from really seeing her old teammate.

"Hi, Sakura-chan."

Sakura could hear the soft voice greeting her; she missed it dearly. The green eyes looked to the side to meet the cerulean. "Hey, you." She noted that he wore the formal robes of a Kage, satisfied that he was adapting to the new life – the first few months were hectic.

It was like meeting someone for the first time. Their relationship had always been close; it was just recently that they began to drift.

Her steps were slowed purposely, and she made her way towards him. "All of this work is really stressing you out, Naruto... Even with your blond hair, I can easily see your grey strands." Her hand carefully raised and she ran her fingers through his hair.

Naruto's whiskered markings showed creases as he frowned. "I-It's not the work, Sakura-chan," he paused to reach his hand onto the one that caressed his face, "It's the same reason why your eyes are red right now."

The girl gulped, realizing that the main topic of their conversation had just started; one question loomed in her mind. "Why?" She breathed out.

Dark blond brows raised in shock. "Because I care... I mean, isn't that why you're –"

Sakura shook her head peacefully, and tried to force a small laughter. "No..." She muttered, "I mean, why did this happen?" Her tears came to a stop the moment they reached the edges.

The Hokage's head lowered, hiding the upset features from his friend. "I... Never wanted it to end like this. You know how much I wanted us to be a team again, Sakura-chan. I would never purposely do this to him!"

The petite girl's stance stumbled at the loudness of his voice. "I know, Naruto," she assured, "You're a good Hokage... I know that."

Naruto's fist slammed onto the edge of his new desk. The grown man tried to keep his own tears from flooding like Sakura's were right now. His mouth trembled the more words he accumulated in his head; they were reasons, excuses, anything to make the next few days never happen.

"N-Naruto?" She heard a sniffle, and she wasn't sure whether it was her or him.

"Did you know that we – _us_ – were the only ones who dared to fight for his life? You, me, and Kakashi-sensei. Three people against the village, Sakura!" His fury kept him from addressing her the way he used to. "Even people we went to school with, they didn't want him back. Our own friends decided that it was a bad idea; they said that it was just putting our village at risk!"

Sakura nodded understandably, tightening her body, and hoping it would keep her from exploding with more emotions. She knew what Naruto was talking about; she knew that all of their friends had been avoiding them – Ino, Kiba, and even Lee.

Naruto's teeth were clenched, and his eyes were shut tight. "I hate it. I hate being Hokage and being powerless. All I can do is go to his cell every day and know that it would be one of the last conversations we'd ever have."

The medic approached him again, grasping onto one of his hands; they were warm. "But you fought for him, Naruto. You fought long and hard for his freedom, and that's being a Hokage – a great one."

There was a curt nod, but none that was visible to Sakura.

"Go see him, Sakura-chan."

Her eyes fell back and her comforting hands lifted from his. "W-what?" Her voice squeaked.

The blond stood back up straight, and made sure his attentive eyes connected with her's. "You haven't said a word to him in the last week... Sasuke told me you came, but you wouldn't even look at him. Don't make it seem like it's his fault, Sakura, 'cause you are."

Sakura's head jerked to the side. "But I... I don't know what will happen, Naruto. I mean, I'm engaged." She held up her hand to show him the ring as proof. "It wouldn't be fair."

"None of this is fair, Sakura!" His voice briefly wavered. "Just go see him," he said. "I'll give the prison guards a call – I think Shikamaru's on duty now anyway. Go see him, Sakura."

She stood there silently in deep thought. It wasn't until Naruto got off the phone that her body turned itself around. "Thank you, Naruto," she said with a smile before she left.

Her steps hurried down the stairs, and into the cold air again. Her tired feet pushed through the heavy snow, but stopped the moment she saw the recognizable building; she was less than twenty feet from the entrance. Fifteen feet, ten, nine – she counted it all in her head. When she was less than five feet, the kunoichi froze.

It hadn't occurred to her that snowflakes were collecting on top of her cotton candy coloured hair or that her legs were numb from the wind. Ten, possibly twenty minutes had past, and all she could do was stare at the doors. Posters were taped on them, of criminals, of schedules... Of Sasuke.

She had memorized his execution date the moment it was announce many weeks ago. Since then, all she was able to do was enter the building, but never brave enough to approach the cell. Not until recently, that is. Sakura was getting the process through, one step at a time, but now all she could do was regret.

Had she wasted all of her time because she was too much of a wimp to go see his face? The girl couldn't bear the thought of what things would be like had she gone to see him the very first day he came back.

"Sakura?" The voice startled her; it was Shikamaru. He studied her carefully as he pushed the door open even further. "I got the call from Naruto half an hour ago... Have you been standing out here all this time?"

She didn't reply.

The ring pierced into his ear flickered with the low lighting of the room, Sakura noticed, when she agreed to come inside. Cobwebs were still the same, as well as the staring from other guards – they all remembered her as the girl who came and did nothing every single day.

Shikamaru gently grabbed her one arm and placed a metal band around it. "You only have so much time left. Just go inside, Sakura, and talk." He sounded like Naruto.

The dull faced girl saw the same shine on her wrist as his earring before she looked up back at the large door that creaked when it opened. Her legs motioned themselves to go inside and they kneeled down when the door was shut; she sat across from him, but her face still laid low like yesterday's visit.

"Sakura."

Tears spat out of her eyes as soon as her head jerked upwards, responding to the foreign voice she longed for so long. He had a smirk on his face – why did he seem so joyous?

"Hn, it's been a while," he said.

Something squirmed in the pit of her stomach. Her arms trembled at the cool air and the strange aura that surrounded them; it was strange that he was the one talking, and not her. Forcefully, she raised her voice, though she knew it squeaked. "Yeah, it has, Sasuke-kun."

Her green eyes looked at his face and immediately, she frowned. "I want to... I want to see your eyes."

Sasuke gave another smirk before raising his shackled arms to move his bangs to the side, revealing dark, charcoal eyes. He stared straight at his former teammate, watching her reaction; her face seemed surprised. "Is there something wrong?" He carefully asked.

Sakura's mouth was slightly parted, retrieving the air back into her lungs; the pale pink lips curved. Her glittering eyes gazed back in amazement. "You, Sasuke-kun." Her smile grew even bigger. "Your eyes are as beautiful as the day you left Konoha." The fluttering feeling she had in her chest resembled the feeling she had when she was a kid, when the two would meet every morning with the team.

He rolled his eyes. "Hn," he grunted, but added, "you haven't changed much either."

For some reason, she felt like Sasuke needed to know. Without even thinking, her mouth leaked out a thousand words, releasing all of her memories. "I became a medic after you left; I trained under the Godaime, and Naruto trained with Jiraiya," she began.

It had been over an hour, but neither complained. Sakura was still talking, and Sasuke was still listening, but eventually, words became tears, and the Uchiha remained still.

"S-Sorry," Sakura muttered. "I know how much you hate it when I cry." She quickly wiped the droplets of water away and glanced back at him, smiling.

Sasuke allowed a breath to escape his dry lips, and he licked them afterwards. With difficulty, his body repositioned itself, shifting towards the rosette, but made sure there was still enough room between the two. "It's okay, Sakura," he said. "And I already knew everything you just said." His eyes suggested that he was entertained by the whole situation. "The dobe had told me all that weeks ago."

Flabbergasted, Sakura's brows furrowed. "And you let me talk all this time? Why didn't you tell me?" The creases of her brows lessened when she saw the Uchiha smile and small chuckle was heard. "I'm serious," she tried in all distressfulness, but her poker face was horrible. It was soon enough that she broke out in laughter.

Sasuke's smile eventually disappeared, and he looked back at her again. "To tell you the truth... I don't remember why I found you so annoying."

Her body leaned back against the cold brick walls. Her eyelids fluttered, and came to a stop when her view was darkened. "I guess we just needed some time to think, and some space," she explained, "I mean, I don't think I've ever heard you laugh before."

She moved a few strands of her hair behind her ear, but the change in Sasuke's face caused her to question him. "What?"

Sasuke blinked a few times and his face shifted back into his monotonous state. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Sakura's hand dropped from the side of her face, realizing that Sasuke's eyes followed it. Her eyes drop to see the shiny rock that was visible on her ring finger. "Oh," she breathed out. "I guess I forgot to mention," she said while pushing herself to smile, "I'm engaged." A false chuckle followed it.

The man nodded. "Aa, congratulations."

Startlingly, Sakura stood up. "I should go. Um, he – my fi... Kyo – he should be home by now, and I have to make dinner, so I-I'll see you tomorrow, Sasuke-kun? Is that okay?"

He got up as well, so that his eyes were looking down at hers. "Aa," he murmured. But when she turned around, he added, "Come early. If you can, please."

Her head slightly turned around at the same time her hands pushed the door open. "O-Okay. See you then." With that, Sakura exited the small cell.

The moment Shikamaru took off the silent alarm in her wristband, she ran home without saying a word. Tears at this point were dried out, and her body mainly felt panic. Her chest beat rapidly with every step she took, especially when she was outside her door.

The keys jingled in her shaking hands, and Sakura was unable to push it through the hole. She played with the doorknob, but no matter what she did, nothing would open the door.

Suddenly, someone on the other side opened it; it was Kyo.

"Sakura, where have you been?" He sounded worried. He pulled her in for a squeeze. "You're freezing," he said, closing the door behind her. The warm eyes gazed down at her, and he gave a small smile. "You okay?"

Sakura nodded. "I went to visit Naruto today," she explained. The woman took her coat off slowly, entering the kitchen. She saw a few other guys hovering over the dining room table.

"Hey, Sakura!" Kyo's friends greeted.

Her fiancé behind her placed his hands on her shoulder to place a kiss on the top of her head. "Sorry, I forgot to mention the guys are here."

The woman shrugged. "It's okay. You guys haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll go make something." She grabbed a few celery and carrot sticks from the fridge and a cutting board, silently chopping the vegetables.

"This execution is really wearing me out."

Sakura heard the man next to Kyo say. She looked up, but her hands continued to move the knife. Her heart sank when she realized they were all talking about Sasuke. She nibbled on her lower lips, forcing herself to cut the vegetables even quicker, hoping the loudness of the knife against the board would keep her from hearing the conversation.

"I heard the Hokage visits him everyday," another coworker said. "Poor guy, he must be devastated. They were close friends, weren't they?"

She heard Kyo agree and mention something else. Her right hand motioned the knife as fast as it could.

"Sakura?" His voice spoke up.

The woman ignored it as she did the rest of their voices. She hastily grabbed another carrot stick and began cutting it again, before she realized there was blood all over the board. Her vision was blurred with tear drops.

"Sakura!" Kyo quickly rushed over to her and held onto her bleeding hand. His fingers glowed a beautiful royal blue as he healed the small cut. "Is everything ok –" His voice was cut off when he saw his future wife's wet face. Unsure of what to do, he walked over to her, and his arms wrapped around her body. All he could do was say her name, but she never responded.

Coworkers all got up from the dining table to see the situation. They had never seen Sakura so down before.

"He can't leave me," she muttered, slowly dropping herself down onto her knees.

"What?" Kyo questioned.

"He can't leave me!" She cried out. "He can't, he can't..." she repeated. "_I_ can't leave him."

_.._

_Date: February 14_

_Days until the execution of Sasuke Uchiha: 2_

TBC

..

* * *

A lot longer than usual. I'm hoping the next chapter will be around this length, but I'm not entirely sure.

Please review.


	5. Chapter 5

**Burnt Toast**

**By: Xmarksthespot**

**Disclaimer: The usual.**

**Chapter 5. Twenty Four Hours**

_I place the bread in the toaster, and I stood there. I waited for it to come back into my grasp._

_.._

She dreamt about Sasuke that night, as well as Naruto, and Kakashi – Team Seven in general. However, it was more of a reminiscent, as scenes from their days as innocent genin flashed in her mind. She distinctly saw the day when they were all isolated inside a cave. Kakashi was near the edges, keeping watch of any approaching enemy and reading his – at the time – mysterious, orange novel which he promised to show them when they were older.

Naruto and Sasuke had been fighting again, and nothing she was saying had worked. She was angry with Naruto for causing Sasuke to wake up from his slumber, and worried about Sasuke who had been getting less and less sleep, as if something was trying to push him away from the team.

But even though in daylight, they were always arguing, and Sakura was always out of the picture, nighttime would come and she would be the one they all huddle around. She never knew this, of course, not until the last few missions together as a team (when Naruto kicked her in the middle of the night!), but ever since the beginning, the two other boys rested near her.

Whether it was to protect her from any predators who were near, or to enrage the other one, or because she was the only source of happiness that they longed for, Sakura never knew. She just felt happy knowing that even when she was pushed away, they never meant to push her too far, because that meant that no matter what, they would always be _a team_.

_.._

She woke up startled, ignorant of any past events. Her vision was blurry and heavy lids would droop low every other second; she was still exhausted. She threaded her fingers through the bundle of messy hair, and it wasn't until her arms pushed the petite body up that she saw the stranger laying next to her in bed.

That's when everything came back to her recollection. Sakura spent a while staring at the man – her fiancé – who was peacefully asleep. Slowly, she removed herself from the bed, but her attempt to avoid noise failed, as he let out a yawn.

"You're up," he said, almost surprised. Kyo stretched out his arms, but his eyes were glued to the too-calm kunoichi who stared back blankly.

"You're... home," she stated the obvious. Her eyes flickered all across the room as she turned around and headed for her bathroom. Sakura felt lost almost, as if a hidden desire tried to control her one way, but her conscious told her otherwise.

She chose to ignore her fiancé's questions, turning on the tap so that the rush of water would zone out his voice. When she splashed herself with the droplets, she felt relieved in a way, but it was only for a second. Sakura glanced at her reflection in the mirror in front of her, and noted her reddened eyes and frown lines which were deeper than the last time she looked at herself.

Her fingers extended for the toothbrush, while the other hand turned off the tap so that Kyo's voice was audible.

"Are you okay?" His worrisome face appeared in the mirror she was facing. It grew even more when he saw Sakura nod towards the reflection.

She spat out the toothpaste, quickly rinsing her mouth and then turned to face him. "I'm fine," she said, controlling the tone to a perfect pitch. It neither sounded saddened or frightened by his presence. Her confident stance led her back into the bedroom, but she knew he was still standing there, leaning by the door.

"Sakura," he started, but stopped for a second to walk towards her.

Her eyelids fell down, and she expected a warm hug, a kiss, or his arms holding onto hers. However, all she met with was the strange silence which lingered between the two. Gazing back up, she felt his eyes on hers'

"I'm fine, Kyo," she said with a false smile, but she knew that he didn't buy it.

"No you're not," he said through a stern voice, "What is going on with you?" He asked, watching her approach the entrance of the bedroom door.

Avoiding the topic, her body pivoted away from him, only to be held back by the man. "Let me go," she said slowly. Her eyelids dropped and her voice softened. "I'll go make breakfast now or you'll be late for work."

"I'm going to be staying home today." The grasp around her wrist slightly loosened.

Free from his hold, she pulled her arms in, unsure of what to say. They rarely argued in the past, and even when they did, when they were louder and the argument went on for hours, nothing could be compared to what was happening now. Her lips slowly opened. "The truth is..." She began, but the twists in her chest prevented from thinking clearly. Shaking her head, she merely continued with, "Naruto and I got into a fight. It's about some things from the past," she lied, and her headache grew worse because of it.

She glanced up to see the flustered man become apologetic. After all, her tears, her mentioning of another man, it all seemed more reasonable when it involved one of her best friends.

"Oh, I'm sorry," his voice drifted off. He turned his face to the side, unsure of what to say.

Of course, Sakura wouldn't let him say anything else. "Kyo, these are just problems that I have to resolve on my own... I'm going out with some friends today, and see how I can fix things between me and him." She paused and felt her sweaty palms – lying always made her nervous. "Is that okay?"

His eyes lingered on her, and without thinking, he nodded.

She smiled in response, making her way to the kitchen.

After breakfast, the girl quickly got dressed, heading out the door with a single peck on her fiancé. "You don't have to stay home from work for me. I'll be okay," she said. Her body stopped moving, and something else slipped from her lips:

"...Thank you."

Before she could see his reaction, she turned around and ran for the other end of the village. Never before had she ran so quickly towards the jail cell, but today was most important to her. The coral haired girl slammed the front doors open, which alerted the guards. However, when she came into sight, they sat back down, unworried.

Pale hands dropped the list in front of one of the guards. "Here's a list of things I want to do with the prisoner in that cell," she pointed to the metallic door that weren't too far from them. Of course, the guards knew exactly which door she had in mind, since they had been seeing her too frequently. "I want you to circle all the things I'm allowed to do, and cross out the ones I'm prohibited from," she commanded, dipping her head slightly to the cup filled with pens on the desk.

The older man sourly glanced at the lined piece of paper, and tapped his fingers on the desk as he ran his eyes through. He reached for a pen and crossed out the first three options. He continued on to strike a line through many of the choices, only circling a few and earning a frown from the girl who watched hesitantly.

"I want the last one to be circled," Sakura stated, rather than asked. She stared at him intensely, hoping that the determination in her eyes would convince him to do so.

"We look at it as a weapon. I'm afraid – "

"_I'm_ going to be using the tool. And it's going to be out here in the hallway, so you can keep watch. And he's basically chained down. He _can't_ do anything." She smiled innocently at the man again, and turned her head to encourage his partner to agree.

He let out a sigh. "I'll call the Hokage to verify," he said, giving up, "but I think I know the answer to this one already." He rolled his eyes. Afterwards, he placed a metallic band around her, and following that, led her towards the cell. He fidgeted with the keys for a while, and handed Sakura the list when he did find it. "You've got all night to finish that," he paused, unsure of what to say next and even though his mouth opened, intended to add something, the man merely moved aside to let Sakura into the prison.

"Sasuke-kun!" Her voice was bubbly, similar to her twelve year old self. She didn't care that he only nodded and said nothing after, but sat down happily – was it because that it was his last day, that some part of her urged her to replay the past?

She didn't let him speak (not that he would say anything), as she immediately grab hold of his hands. "I have a surprise for you."

Sakura watched as he rolled his eyes, amused by her giddiness. However, the back of her mind threw herself back into the past, not too far, but far enough so that she could see if she was ever this happy with her own fiancé; the answer was no.

"Hn, and what do you mean by that?" His voice interrupted her thoughts. There was a slight tremor in his movements, as if about to pull his hands away, but nevertheless, they stayed in Sakura's hold.

She grinned. "You'll see." Pulling herself from her seat, she dragged the Uchiha along with her. He was heavier than she remembered him to be, but then again, he was a grown man now, and the one who resided in her memories was just a boy.

"Sakura, what are you doing?" He questioned through the monotone voice. He remain rigid in his stance, preventing the pink haired girl from pulling him any closer to the door.

The woman pouted, cursing at the fact that the chakra suppressors prevented her from showing Sasuke her superhuman strength. "I already have the guards' permission. You can leave your cell for a bit." Using all of her might, she exaggeratedly removed Sasuke from his position bit by bit, until he willingly decided to move (she almost fell over as a result).

Cold eyes were fixed on them as they left the cell, and Sakura held her one hand out to take hold of a bag she left outside by the guards' desk. She knew that Sasuke was merely standing in one position, somewhat uncomfortable being out in the open, and especially standing next to several guards; she hastened her steps.

Pulling over a stool, she placed it in the middle of the dirty hallway, and took a piece of cloth from her bag.

"Sit," she commanded, watching as Sasuke hesitantly did as he was told. She draped the cloth around his neck, and following that, she pulled out a pair of scissors. Loose strands of hair fell in front of her face, but she merely blew them away. Her eyes fixed intently at the man.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked again, clearly aware of what the answer was going to be. She never answered him, so he remained stoic, facing forward and only slanting his head when he felt her fingers guiding him to do so.

Neither of them bothered to correct the silence, so only the heavy breathing could be heard. On occasion, Sakura would step out to the front, examining her work. She measured the lengths by locking her fingers around the dark hairs, sometimes flushing when she lifted them high enough to see Sasuke's peaceful state; she gulped, almost too loudly.

"Hn, what?"

His voice startled her, almost sending her back a few steps. Her eyes were wide through nervousness, and she only replied with a somewhat suppressed chuckle. "Oh, I'm just not used to this. The last time I did this was with the Inuzuka's dog."

Noting the small smile on his face, she felt content. She resumed her work on the back, but her head began to feel heavy, consumed with too many thoughts. On occasion, she would freeze her movements, holding back the tears that she could sense. One tear was released, however, but that was all that she would allow, because she wouldn't allow herself to be careless. She wouldn't let Sasuke see her cry again, especially today. The last day. _Their_ last day.

"I know you're crying," his voice whispered. "Even if I can't see your face right now. I know you're crying." He slightly tilted his head back, so that he could confirm it; his eyes were filled with worry.

Finally sniffing out loud, Sakura raised an arm to wipe away the few tears that lay on her cheeks. "I'm sorry."

She saw Sasuke's mouth twitch, as if in attempt to tell her stop apologizing, but he made no move, only to feel her fingers comb through his hair again and hearing snips from the scissors. However, several times after, Sakura felt his face move; he wanted to say something, but didn't – couldn't. So it was up to her to pull the words out of him, and she decided to put it bluntly, just to save time – they only had so much time left, after all.

"What is it?"

He shook his head slightly. "It's nothing."

Choosing to accept his statement, no matter how visible his lie was, Sakura finished up the haircut. She swept the strands of hair away from his neck and pulled the cloth off his neck, and allowed him to stand up from the stool.

He turned and faced her ."Aa, thank you."

It was when their eyes met that made Sakura certain that Naruto wasn't the only one who seemed to be aging quickly. She knew for the most part that Sasuke's face had remained as flawless as it was a decade ago, seemingly protected by the attacks of a teenager's blemishes and had steered away from any swipes to the face a blade. It was his eyes, nonetheless, now that she could see them perfectly without asking him to raise his hair up for her to see, which was flooded with anxiety, fatigue, and fear.

Sakura hadn't noticed this before, only realizing now that the date was an indirect correlation to his worries; the closer _the day_ was, the more tired he grew. In response to this, she frowned. After all, what was there to do no? Should she avoid the topic and continue to go through the day like any other day? Or should she bring it up, and _talk_ to him about it _because_ it's his last day (those final few words made her cringe at the thought)?

While contemplating on this, her gaze, still fixed on the man, followed him as the guards, now fully aware that his haircut was done, led him back into the cell; she trailed behind him.

Just as she had before, Sakura noted that the cell was a lot cooler than it was in the lobby. Her frown only deepened, having realized that this entire time, Sasuke had been donning a thin shirt. What happened? she asked herself. She used to be so observant of the Uchiha – even the slightest hair out of place would catch her attention back then.

Feeling guilty, she asked him, "Are you cold?" But she received a shrug in response from the man who merely sat down in the same location as he usually sat.

"Are you?" Sakura asked again. She stepped towards him and slid herself down so that her arm was inches away from his; even then, she could feel the cool air lingering between them (and she was wearing a sweater too).

"Hn," was his response, but he tilted his head so that he could see her face in the corner of his eyes.

Sakura only stared back, studying the dark charcoal orbs, which always seemed to amaze her. They shone despite the poor lighting in the cell. Though full of worry, they still had a mix of vibrance in them, like Naruto's eyes, which surprised her even more due to his life conditions during the past few years.

Her dry lips parted, sucking in the cool air. Unaware that there were tears falling down her face, Sakura continued to watch the Uchiha. There were so many questions she wanted to ask him, regarding the past few years, which she wasn't present in his life. She wanted to know if he missed them, thought about them, maybe even saw them while they were on missions.

Before she could ask though, she saw that his view was fixed onto her left hand again, specifically at her fourth finger – her ring finger. She smiled. "Does my ring fascinate you that much? Is it _that_ hard to believe that I would be engaged, Sasuke-kun?"

He smirked, but soon, that curve on his lips fell. "I regret leaving," he quietly said.

"What?"

His pause remained for a few minutes before he continued. "I was just thinking... that if I had stayed..." but the rest of the words he muttered was in a softer, quieter pitch, incoherent at first, but when Sakura replayed the words in her head again, she heard what he said.

She responded with something else, trying to convince herself that what he had just stated had a different meaning than what the back of her head was telling her.

He spoke again, and this time, it only confirmed that voice in her mind. And with those words, her heart sank.

Afterwards, she found herself hurriedly wiping the tears from her face. Sakura forced a smile. "It's noon," she stated – _exactly_ twenty four hours left, she added inwardly. "I have to go finish something for a bit." Her words slurred, and she saw the expression on Sasuke's face, realizing that her sudden action must've made it seem like he scared her away with his words – which was partly true. Getting up, she opened the door slightly. "Naruto should be here any minute now – it's his lunch break. And I think he asked the Godaime to substitute for him today, so he should be here the entire day too."

Sasuke's mouth hung open for a bit, but before Sakura could leave, he asked, "Are you coming back?"

Smiling, all Sakura could say was, "Of course. Knowing Naruto, all he would bring is instant ramen, and we both know that those noodles get a little tiring, right? You and I need something healthier, don't you think?"

With that, she ran home. She ran with her left hand held in a fist, and with tears in her eyes. She entered her home, with her conversation with Sasuke trapped in her thoughts.

"_I regret leaving... If I had stayed, you wouldn't be wearing this ring, I don't think."_

"_Oh right, because I would stay loyal as your fangirl. Haha."_

"_No, because you would be wearing _my_ ring."_

"_What? What did you just say?"_

"_Nothing."_

_.._

_Date: February 15_

_Hours until the execution of Sasuke Uchiha: Twenty four_

_.._

_.._

TBC

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the delay guys. Planning to finish this story within the next month though! :D And I know Sasuke was so totally OOC at the end, but meh, people get OOC when they're about to die. At least, in my story they do.

And an explanation for the "how much longer until Sasuke's execution" thing, cause I think I'm sort of confusing myself. Basically, this explanation is just to help me, more than you guys. Okay, so Sakura got up today, lets say around 8AM. She gets to Sasuke's cell around 10AM, cuts his hair, and eventually, it's noon when she leaves. So the chapter is titled 24 hours because 24 hours from where it ends is the time of his execution. Whether it happens or not..you'll have to see. I think I get it now.

Also, for this chapter **and** the next chapter, the setting takes place on the _same_ day. Even though for the last 4 chapters, each chapter is a different day, I'm making it so that chapter 5 and chapter 6 are from the same day, just split into hours, mainly because theres a lot of stuff I want to fit in, but this chapter was getting long, so I cut it off.

Please review! :)


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